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Divine Ranking System
Official Paizo Pathfinder rules do not have a ranking system for their gods and for good reason. This can cause unnecessary conflicts of interest and too much focus put on which deity is better than others. However, when GMs or players want their deities to interact with each other and want to have a way to determine divine stats it can become helpful to have such a ranking system as this. Therefore, I have created a custom ranking system that can be used with Pathfinder and other custom deities. Mortal Interactions: As far as interactions with morals are concerned, Divine Ranks do not matter. Divine Magic (any spell or ability cast or made by a deity) automatically succeeds against all mortals with no divine ranks. The only exceptions to this are either with Rank 0 Deities (which are still divine and still above mortal levels) or with GM discretion. SInce the ranks are only meant for deities interacting with each other, to a mortal a level 0 deity is just as infinitely beyond them as a level 41 unless the GM decides otherwise. Ranking Purposes: It is important to remember that Divine Ranks are completely relative and under complete discretion of the GM. The only use of Divine Ranks are for when deities are interacting with other deities and a person wants to figure out how to calculate stats in relation to other gods. Remember, no matter what the "stats" are of a deity, the deity is still beyond mortal reach unless the GM themselves decide otherwise. The ranking system acts exactly like Class Levels do for mortals and is only used to calculate spells, attacks, abilities, and other important stats in relation to other deities and other deities only. The Ranks: The Divine Rank places the deity in a relative category. The Ranks between 0 and 20 are Deities that still care bout mortal affairs and interact and possess domains or subdomains. Ranks between 21 and 41 are deities that control whole worlds, galaxies, planes, and even universes and as such care little to nothing about mortal affairs and view lower life forms as completely insignificant and some may not even realize that mortals exist. These beings are controlled almost solely by the GMs and are mainly used only for religious lore and background and even Divine Stats may no longer apply to most of them as the will of the GM can be manifested in-game in the form of these deities. Again, this is also up to the GM. For more details on these ranks, see the table below. How They Work: Unlike in some other rule sets, a deity cannot simply gain new ranks by killing other gods and forcing their ranks into them. The ranking system presented here is used exactly like Class Levels and just as Class Levels cannot be stolen in normal circumstances or taken from another mortal just by killing them or devouring them, the same is true for this ranking system. How exactly a deity gains a new rank or even loses them is under the discretion of the GM. For example, a deity could gain ranks because the GM decides that Deities higher than them elevate them to a higher existence. The GM can also decide that it is based off of how many worshipers the deity has. How the ranks are assigned and how the deities get them is not what is important since they are relative to begin with. Limitations: In order to keep the deities balanced and not entirely based off of ranks alone, the domains and subdomains that they rule over (what they are the deities of exactly) is what is most important about them. For example, a Death God can rule entirely under the underworlds and control the spirits of the death and have sway completely over their life and death but that have no power over the Sun and all its domains because a death god would only have the domain of death and not of the sun (unless the death god was a sun god also). This is only an example to relay that the deities, regardless of rank, have little power over other domains because remember: they are GODS. The exceptions to this would be creator and primal gods (ranks over 20) or, once again, because of GM discretion. The Divine Ranks Rank 0, Hero Deities: A Hero Deity is a deity that was once mortal and has ascended to godhood either through a fabulous trial, divine approval, becoming one via worship years after death, or even being the child of a deity who mated with a mortal. Ultimately the GM decides how a mortal would achieve such a rank and whether such a deity gains more ranks later on. Typically, Rank 0 deities have little to no power and are simply immortal beings that no longer live on the mortal plane for one reason or another. Most do not even possess a domain of their own and are servants of greater gods. Hero Deities will still visit mortals and will even fight alongside them in battle if need be. Historical Examples: Imhotep, Hercules Ranks 1-5, Demi-Deities: The Demigods or Demigoddesses are more often than not either nature deities that still live on (or visit frequently) that mortal plane and take on forms that are very well known to the mortals whether it be that of an animal, artifact, tree, or even natural structure such as a river or mountain. Demi-Deities seem to be worshiped the most by druids. Although higher ranking deities can be nature deities, it is the demi-deities that more immediately live with mortals or must live their because it is the entire purpose of their existence. A Demi-Deity could also be a deity that is the child of higher ranking gods that possesses far less powers than they do, typically after many generations of divine breeding. Historical Examples: Kami, Hapi, Achilles Ranks 6-10, Lesser Deities: These deities tend to be first generation children of higher ranking deities and either possess domains that relate to more archetypal ideas of mortals that affect them such as War, Love, Greed, or other base emotions and ideas. Historical Examples: Horus, Ares Ranks 11-15, Intermediate Deities: These Deities are important deities that control higher natural processes and typically watch over higher domains and care more about the natural order of the physical world and are usually the parents of the lesser deities and grandparents to demi-deities. These deities will rule over the Sun, Moon, Stars, or even entire landscapes rather than specific ones such as the Ocean or Desert. They can also be gods of Fertility and represent masses of people. Many of these deities have mass religious groups and are the leaders of some pantheons. It is possible that Intermediate Deities have children that are also Intermediate Deities as well or even ones that surpass them. Historical Examples: Osiris, Set, Apollo, Poseidon, Thor Ranks 16-20, High Deities: High Deities are typically heads of pantheons and very well known. Some may even be credited as creator deities or are seen of extreme importance. Typically the domains of these deities are ones that supersede that of mortals and instead are archetypal principles that mortals either have no control over or that only affects them indirectly. Such domains can include Law, Chaos, Death, Time, Void, and other abstract archetypes. Historical Examples: Ra, Zeus, Jupiter, Odin Ranks 21-25, Mythic Deities: These grand deities have crossed a threshold that no longer pertains to the affairs of mortality and are seen as beings beyond normal mortal comprehension although at this point are still understood by the other deities. Deities on the Mythic may or may not still care about morals and may still interact with the other deities and are still aware that mortals exist but care little for them. Historical Example: Ptah, Amun, Uranus Ranks 26-30, Great Ones: The classification is titled as "Great Ones" as they are at a threshold that may not even truly be identified as Deity anymore except for lacking better definitions. These beings may or may not be aware of the existence of mortals depending on the being but view deities lesser than them in the same light that deities view mortals. They are aware of the existence of the other gods but care very little for them. These beings rule over entire galaxies and can create and destroy them on whim along with other deities. Historical Examples: Cthulhu, Chronos Ranks 31-35, Elder Ones: At this point the deities are not even aware of the existence of mortals and may or may not be aware of the lower deities. These beings preside over entire sections of space and may accidentally create other gods. Event the lowers gods cannot fully comprehend these beings. Historical Examples: Yog-Sothoth, Amun Ranks 36-40, Ancient Ones: The Ancient Ones are are the immediate presiding beings following after creation. They preside over entire universes and can create and destroy them on whim. It is unsure what exactly exists here. Historical Examples: Apep, Azathoth, The Three Pure Ones Rank 41, Primal Creators: The Primal Creators are the beings that create and destroy entire multiverses or groups of them create them together. They probably are entirely unaware of the beings that exist within them including the deities of any rank within. They are the sources of creation. Historical Examples: Tao, Ogdoad